This is a two day event with no pre-arranged teams. Despite the name, players from outside of the Eastside Region are welcome to join in on the fun.

Day 1: Shuffle Deck Tournament. No pre-arranged teams. This will make it a good first-time tournament for newer members of clubs, as well as making the even more accessible for single travelers. Maybe an evening alleycat or bar crawl. NAH rules with caveat: The 5pt cap will be removed and matches will be by time only.

Day 2: Schoolyard Bench Tournament. Depending on the number of players, we'd do 4-6 teams in a double-elimination bracket. Captains will be decided based on the outcome of the pull-out tournament on day one by their individual (not team) stats. The bench draft would be done the evening of day 1, and posted that evening, or announced the morning of day 2.

Based on 8 bench teams for the second day, with 6 players per team, we're talking about 48 people. That's 16 teams on the first day. This is subject to change based on interest. Also, if a player can only attend only one day, this is not a problem. 48 players is not a cap, just a goal.

Winter can mean low turn out for pick-up and low morale. The goal is to have a fun polo event to welcome the spring and start off the 2013 polo season! This would be a great event to encourage new members of your club to come, since they don't need to arrive with a team. It will introduce new players and skills to the clubs, and promote inter-club camaraderie.

A back-up date of March 16-17 will be set in case of inclement weather.

UPDATE (01/14/13) - Because of the nature of the format, we won't be using hardcourtbikepolo.org for registration. To register, you'll need to send me an email to alias.s.tagami@gmail.com and we'll add you to the event roster. You will not need to pay at the time of registration. When you email, please provide your name, club, shirt size (just in case), and some details on how long you've been playing.

UPDATE (01/30/13) - We have worked out an awesome location! We will no longer be using the normal DC Bike Polo pick-up court. Instead, we will be using a outdoor inline hockey rink in nearby New Carrollton (Metro accessible on the orange line): http://goo.gl/maps/ZadLm

Here's the location I'm trying to secure for day 2. A inline hockey rink with two adjacent tennis courts. If we build a good relationship with the local municipality, we may push for more ambitious events in the future that use all 6 tennis courts, and the rink.

Doing a little number crunching today, it seems that the sweet spot to aim for is 48 people. This would make 16 teams on Day 1, and 8 six-person (or 6 eight-person) teams on Day2.

Because of the nature of the format, I won't be using hardcourtbikepolo.org for registration. To register, you'll need to send me an email (alias.s.tagami@gmail.com) and I'll add you to the event roster. You will not need to pay at the time of registration. When you email me, please provide your name, club, shirt size (just in case), and some details on how long you've been playing (read below).

More details on how teams will be established:

DAY-1
We will be collating players into three classes (A/B/C) to insure that each team is a mix of skill/experience. Each team will consist of an A, B, and C player. Please don't sandbag.

DAY-2
Based on individual player stats from day 1, team coaches will be assigned. Most likely based on Goals-->GD-->Rank

The roster has been divided into the A, B, and C groups. These are final, so please do not write to me and ask for changes. These groups are only relevant to the Saturday 3v3 teams. Each team will have an A, B, and C player. Teams will be created by random selection of an A, B, and C player.

You'll get your team when you check in on Sat at the park, but here's the groups to give you an idea of the field: